A couple of questions I get asked quite frequently are when did I start exercising and when did I decide to become a fitness coach. So, today, I thought I’d share a little bit about my fitness past and my journey into the industry.

A lot of people look at fitness professionals and think we have it easy, that we roll out of bed each morning, look in the mirror and bam — we have a six-pack. Well, I’m here to tell you that (sadly) that just isn’t so.

I want to share my story so you can see that we all struggle from time to time, even those of us who seemingly have it easy.

I hope my experience inspires you and helps you to realise that it’s never too late to start getting in shape and working on your health.

When I was in high school I was known as “that sporty girl”. I loved being active. My main sport was tennis, and as a junior I played competitively in both the UK and America.

However, things all changed when I went to university and I slid down the slippery slope of inactivity, laziness and adopting too many unhealthy habits.

If I’m really honest, I started struggling with my weight. I’d let myself go, I wasn’t playing tennis anymore and I was probably partying a little bit too much. I was anything but a shining example of health.

This went on for a couple of years before I finally decided to do something about my situation.

When I did, I was pretty clueless. I fell into the trap of blindly jumping from one fitness programme to the next in the hope that each would be ‘the one’. I failed to stick to any of them for more than a hot second and, needless to say, I never saw any lasting results.

In much the same way, I tried every diet under the sun — the good, the bad and the downright disgusting. You name it, I tried it. Again, every couple of weeks I’d fall off the wagon spectacularly and end up in a vicious cycle of dieting deprivation and overindulgence.

My confidence sucked, I felt unattractive, I was convinced that no men would ever want to date me and, quite simply, I hated the way I looked.

I’d stand in front of the mirror grabbing my muffin top and my back fat; I’d look longingly at my thighs, wishing my cellulite would go away and I’d pray that the mythical ‘thigh gap’, which at the time was being touted as the most desirable physical asset, would suddenly appear.

None of it made sense to me. I was going to the gym and I was hardly eating, so why didn’t I have the slim, fit and toned body I once had? I’ll tell you why. In reality I’d work out sporadically and, when I did, I’d spend 45 minutes on the treadmill or sitting on the stationary bike pedalling along at a cushy pace while I read a magazine.

Then, I’d go home and scoff a massive bowl of cereal because I hadn’t eaten anything all day and didn’t have the energy to cook a proper dinner. Does this sound familiar?!

I was clueless, frustrated and depressed about my body shape, and almost ready to throw in the towel. But I didn’t.

Instead, I got lucky. One day, just as I was finishing up with another pointless training session, a personal trainer at my gym came over to me and asked if I needed help. I’m serious. That was it. That was the catalyst and, of course, I did need help.

And so my fitness journey began. I learnt so much from this trainer, I can’t even begin to tell you.

I didn’t realise that everything I’d been doing up until that point regarding fitness and nutrition was completely wrong.

With the guidance of someone who really knew what they were talking about and someone who kept me accountable, everything started to make sense and fall into place.

Not only did I learn how to train properly and eat better to see the physical changes I’d longed for, but my whole mindset shifted.

I became more confident, my energy skyrocketed, I started feeling good about myself and I stopped caring whether I’d ever have a thigh gap or not.

And, just for the record, I never have had a thigh gap. I’m not genetically built like that and, you know what, I’m glad because what I do have is far, far better. I have long, strong, toned legs that, quite frankly, look really good in a pair of hot pants.

I will be forever grateful to the trainer who stopped and asked if I needed help all those years ago. Whether he knew it at the time, he not only guided me on to the path of my own fitness journey and initiated my physical transformation, but he also changed the course of my life.

Now I want to pay it forward, and that’s why I made the leap into the fitness industry to become a coach. It’s now my passion and purpose to inspire people to begin their own fitness journey and experience all the incredible benefits of living a fit, healthy and active life.

I want to be the trainer who reaches out to you, offers you help and helps you to transform your body and your life.

I know the first step to getting fit may be scary and challenging, but I can promise you 100 per cent that you won’t have a single regret once you begin.

Wherever you are in terms of your fitness, I want you to know it’s never too late and that there are tons of people out there just like me who know what you’re going through, who’ve been there themselves and who now want to help you get into fantastic shape and feeling great, too.

• Becky Wright is a qualified personal trainer, nutritional therapist and international bikini fitness champion. She has worked with clients worldwide, including royalty. Contact her at www.beckywright fitness.com or at becky@becky wrightfitness.com